Rotary Club honors first responders

Published 2:19 pm, Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldPolice Chief Will Mull accepts the Citizenship Award from Plainview Rotary Club President Coralyn Dillard. The club recognized Plainview’s first responders.

Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldPolice Chief Will Mull accepts the Citizenship Award from Plainview Rotary Club President Coralyn Dillard. The club recognized Plainview’s first responders.

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Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldFire Chief Rusty Powers accepts the Citizenship Award from Plain view Rotary Club President Coralyn Dillard Tuesday during the club meeting. The club recognized Plainview’s First Responders. less

Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldFire Chief Rusty Powers accepts the Citizenship Award from Plain view Rotary Club President Coralyn Dillard Tuesday during the club meeting. The club recognized Plainview’s ... more

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Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldSeveral Plainview fire and police personnel attended the Rotary Club meeting Tuesday, which was dedicated to honor them for their service and dedication to protecting the city.

Jessica Thornton/Plainview HeraldSeveral Plainview fire and police personnel attended the Rotary Club meeting Tuesday, which was dedicated to honor them for their service and dedication to protecting the city.

Rotary Club honors first responders

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The Plainview Rotary Club held a special meeting Tuesday to honor those who put their lives on the line everyday to protect the community.

“In honor of all you do, thank you,” club member Dr. Charles Starnes told Plainview’s first responders after reading a proclamation by President Obama proclaiming May 15 as Peace Officer Memorial Day and May 13-19 as Police Week.

Club President Coralyn Dillard introduced Fire Chief Rusty Powers and Police Chief Will Mull, asking them to give information about their respective departments.

“If you want fire and police to help with an event or respond to an event, have food and they will be there,” Powers joked.

The fire department has 36 employees. According to Powers, a firefighter’s time often is filled with boredom followed by periods of complete chaos.

“We catch people on the worst day of their lives,” he said.

Powers added that his department doesn’t have the luxury of having separate fire and EMS personnel like in bigger cities, but his staff is double-trained in both fighting fires and providing mobile emergency medical care.

Powers emphasized that personnel undergo training to maintain knowledge of new equipment and techniques for saving lives.

Personnel spend 24 hours on the job and then take 48 hours off, but they often volunteer in their free time at fire departments in the surrounding area to make those agencies stronger.

Fire/EMS personnel volunteer their time by raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association with the “Fill the Boot” campaign and by selling pink T-shirts for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Dillard, a registered nurse for Covenant Hospital Plainview, knows the importance of the work the fire department does in the first few minutes of responding to a crisis.

“The effort made by the hospital is totally dependant on you,” she said.

The police department also is a critical part of the community’s response team.

“They don’t have time to sit around the donut shop like you think,” Mull said. “Of course, the donut shops are always going out of business.”

Mull said his department maintains 35 officers spread between patrol and the investigations division.

Mull shares Powers’ thoughts about ongoing training so officers can stay up-to-date on the latest law enforcement techniques.

Both men expressed their appreciation in receiving the club’s Citizenship of the Year awards along with a $500 donation to be used for training.